Also I think it's important to note that just because its pop music doesn't mean it does not take an incredible amount of skill to produce well. There are a handful of producers that dominate the field because they are the best ones. Dr Luke is an example of another.
What I dislike about Dr Luke is that his artists are autotuned to the extent that they all sound exactly the same.
Katy Perry's voice could be swapped for Avril Lavigne's and many people would barely notice.
This accusation is not new in pop music, and I do like his work, but it seems no more skillful by now than finding the right formula and milking it to death with marketing machinery.
I also dislike pop for much the same reason: it's completely fabricated to produce money and little else.
But I do recognize and appreciate how good this guy is, writing and producing a hit is not trivial and also follows a portfolio approach, the difference being that his portfolio has way more successes than average.
If it were that simple to produce pop hits, any producer would do it. Consider that most of the costs are promotion (like many startups) and that the record company could get just about anyone to produce Katy Perry, but Martin's track record is beyond just about any other producer, so I think there's little doubt about his skills.
"I kissed a girl" sung by Avril Lavigne wouldn't be the same thing; Perry's persona and style was perfect for it. These guys know this and that explains half of their success. The other half is deep pockets for promotion.
Pitch correction is unable to change the timbre of a voice. If you can't easily recognize different people's (auto-tuned) voices, you would be in the vast minority of humans who lack this basic skill.
You can count me in that group, in this particular case, but maybe pitch correction is not the whole story.
Here's my point: I can identify a song as being by Dr Luke far more confidently and readily than I can identify the named artist, and I doubt I'm in such a tiny minority there.
Comments
Also I think it's important to note that just because its pop music doesn't mean it does not take an incredible amount of skill to produce well. There are a handful of producers that dominate the field because they are the best ones. Dr Luke is an example of another.
What I dislike about Dr Luke is that his artists are autotuned to the extent that they all sound exactly the same.
Katy Perry's voice could be swapped for Avril Lavigne's and many people would barely notice.
This accusation is not new in pop music, and I do like his work, but it seems no more skillful by now than finding the right formula and milking it to death with marketing machinery.
It find it negative for creativity in music, and even a number of Ke$ha fans agree with that: http://www.idolator.com/7485711/kesha-fan-petition-free-dr-l...
What an absurd statement. They sound nothing alike.
I also dislike pop for much the same reason: it's completely fabricated to produce money and little else.
But I do recognize and appreciate how good this guy is, writing and producing a hit is not trivial and also follows a portfolio approach, the difference being that his portfolio has way more successes than average.
If it were that simple to produce pop hits, any producer would do it. Consider that most of the costs are promotion (like many startups) and that the record company could get just about anyone to produce Katy Perry, but Martin's track record is beyond just about any other producer, so I think there's little doubt about his skills.
"I kissed a girl" sung by Avril Lavigne wouldn't be the same thing; Perry's persona and style was perfect for it. These guys know this and that explains half of their success. The other half is deep pockets for promotion.
Pitch correction is unable to change the timbre of a voice. If you can't easily recognize different people's (auto-tuned) voices, you would be in the vast minority of humans who lack this basic skill.
You can count me in that group, in this particular case, but maybe pitch correction is not the whole story.
Here's my point: I can identify a song as being by Dr Luke far more confidently and readily than I can identify the named artist, and I doubt I'm in such a tiny minority there.
Let's not forget promoters and ~~payola~~ playola.
No surprise they often work together.